Walking On Volume 4, Issue 8, August 2017 | Page 8

Industry Info AHC Applauds Rep. Barr (R-KY), House Lawmakers, for Passage of Equine Therapy Amendment, Increased Support for America’s Veterans Prior to adjourning for the August recess, the U.S. House of Represen- tatives approved an amendment to the “Make America Secure Appro- priations Act” (H.R. 3219) offered by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), a bill that will increase equine therapy funding for veterans by $5 million during FY2018. In a statement released Friday, July 28, Congressman Barr expressed his pleasure over passage of the defense spending legislation. He stated that he is “particularly pleased that the final bill … expands the availability of evidence-based equine treatment for veterans who have suffered trauma while serving our country.” Before the equine therapy provi- sion becomes law, House and Senate lawmakers must convene a “confer- ence” to negotiate final legislation for a vote in both chambers, and present the bill to the President for his signature. Because the House will not return to Washington until September 5, Congress will not be able to negotiate a final bill until the fall. Following failure of healthcare legislation last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has identified Federal Drug Adminis- tration (FDA) funding, Department of Defense (DOD) authorization legislation, and federal appointments as priorities for the next two weeks. Congress must pass final spending bills, or a continuing resolution, prior to the end of the current fiscal year on September 30. To view a copy of Rep. Barr’s statement related to the equine therapy amendment, please see the following link: https://barr.house.gov/ media-center/press-releases/barr-votes-to-en- hance-national-security. If you would like more information about this bill or related issues in Congress, please contact Bryan Brendle at bbren- [email protected] or 202-296-4031 Congress Continues to Promote Land Access, Gives Momentum to “Trails Act” Victory On July 26, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R- UT) introduced the “Recreation Not Red-Tape Act (RNR)” (S. 1633, H.R. 3400), legislation that expands the scope of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (PL 114-245), signed into law in late 2016. While the RNR focuses on streamlined permitting to access public lands, the bill includes provisions that would authorize the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to enter into cooperative agreements with private parties to promote the role of volunteers in trail maintenance. The bill also authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and BLM to develop an interagency trail manage- 8 • Walking On ment plan that will assure uniform maintenance standards for trails crossing jurisdictional lines between the two agencies. The Trails Act outlines a detailed program including goals and timeta- bles by which the USDA will leverage private partners to clear trails long overdue for maintenance. Unlike the RNR Act, which applies to both the BLM and USDA’s National Forest System (NFS), the Trails Act focuses only on trails under the jurisdiction of the NFS. Chairman Bishop and Sen. Wyden worked closely on the bill to empha- size key issues – especially outdoor recreation permit streamlining – that will likely attract bipartisan support. GOP staff with the House Natural Resources Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction for federal land issues, are encouraging AHC and allies to help drive cosponsors for the legislation, which currently has none. Committee staff also state that the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will conduct a markup in late September or October, giving mem- bers the opportunity to offer techni- cal corrections and amendments to the text. To review a summary of the legislation, please see the following link: https://www.wyden.senate. gov/download/?id=DDF411A6-5D21-40BD- B17C-2BF73A2B9C51&download=1. If you would like more information about the RNR Act and related lobbying activity, please contact Bryan Brendle at [email protected] or 202-296-4031.